1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to lighted fishing rods. More particularly, but not by way of limitation, the present invention relates to a lighted fishing rod having at least one electroluminescent lighting device provided thereon.
2. Background of the Invention
Nighttime fishing is a popular activity for a variety of reasons. Unfortunately, the poor lighting associated with nighttime fishing poses a significant number of problems for the fisherman. For example, it may be difficult, if not impossible for a fisherman to visually discern movement of the tip of the rod which would indicate a strike, it may be difficult to find the rod when there is a strike, it may be difficult to detect line entanglement, other people in the area may not be aware that a fishing line is out, etc.
A number of lighted fishing rods have been developed to address these problems and generally aid the nighttime fisherman. Desirable features of prior art devices include: a tip light which provides a ready indication of a strike; a light which illuminates the line guides so the fisherman can observe the fishing line along the pole; a light forward of the reel so that a fisherman can observe the line coming off the reel or have increased light to aid in baiting the line; and a strike sensor so that one or more lights will automatically illuminate when a fish strikes the bait. Generally, these prior art rods house batteries in the rod handle to provide power to the lights as well as a switch for manipulating the lights.
Many of the prior art devices employ a light source housed in the handle in conjunction with a device to transport the light to where it is needed. The light sources employed in these devices, such as incandescent bulbs, tend to have shapes which are not conducive to placement on the rod itself, thus the need to house the light source in the handle and for the transport mechanism. Such devices either illuminate the interior of a transparent or translucent rod, cast a beam along the exterior of the a rod to illuminate the fishing line, or illuminate the rod via a fibre optic strand. These devices favor incandescent bulbs which are relatively inefficient resulting in reduced battery life and which have relatively short bulb life.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,061,946 issued to Toelken discloses a lighted rod wherein an LED is placed in the tip of the rod such that the fisherman can visually detect movement of the tip, in response to a strike, in nighttime use. While the LED may somewhat alleviate concerns of efficiency and bulb life, it does not provide sufficient light to monitor the line through the line guides, it is not conducive to mounting along the rod, and, typically, LED""s tend to emit light in a beam like pattern and therefore the brightness of the LED will vary significantly depending on the viewing angle. In addition, the LED of the U.S. Pat. No. 6,061,946 device is not positioned such that it will illuminate any part of the rod other than the tip. Accordingly, the U.S. Pat. No. 6,061,946 apparatus is limited in application to aiding in the detection of movement of the tip of the rod.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a lighted fishing rod which employs a suitable light source of relatively high efficiency and relatively long life.
It is further object of the present invention to provide a selectable light source directed at meeting the needs of a nighttime angler in detecting movement of the tip of the rod responsive to a fish strike.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a selectable light source directed at meeting the needs of a nighttime angler in monitoring the state of the fishing line along the length of the rod or in working with the fishing line as in baiting a hook or untangling the line.
It is still a further object of the present invention to incorporate a light source which is conducive to placement along any portion of the fishing rod without adversely affecting either the appearance of the rod or functionality of the rod.
The present invention provides a battery powered lighted fishing rod which satisfies the needs and alleviates the problems mentioned above. As with other lighted fishing rods, the inventive lighted rod houses batteries within the handle to supply power to the light sources and a handle mounted switch for ready access by the fisherman. However, unlike prior art devices, the inventive system comprises at least one electroluminescent (EL) lighting device which emits light over a surface area rather than at a single point thereby reducing the harshness of the emitted light and improving the viewing angle. The EL lighting device is fabricated from a thin flexible material such that the EL device may be attached to the rod by wrapping the material around the rod at a desirable position and adhesively securing the material to the rod.
In one aspect, the inventive apparatus provides broad, even illumination proximate to the tip of the rod to provide a visual indication of a strike in low light or no light conditions.
In another aspect, the present invention provides broad even illumination proximate the lower portion of the fishing rod to allow monitoring of the line condition along the rod and to provide a work light for activities such as baiting a hook, untangling the line, and the like.
In still another aspect, the present invention provides a battery powered fishing rod which includes an electrical converter to allow the use of illumination devices which require higher voltage than may practically be provided by conventional batteries in a fishing rod, or which require alternating current for proper operation.
In yet another aspect, the present invention provides a strike sensor near the tip to provide illumination of the tip upon the detection of a strike.
Further objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon examining the accompanying drawings and upon reading the following description of the preferred embodiments.